Vice President Joe Biden convened the first of what is expected to be a series of weekly stimulus plan implementation meetings.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden convened the first of what is expected to be a series of weekly stimulus plan implementation meetings Wednesday, saying it's critical to ensure that "the money that is spent is spent well."

The $787 billion package "is about creating and saving jobs now," Biden said. "We've got to make sure we hold as many people as possible accountable. (We need to) follow the money to make sure it's getting out there and is working."

Biden, who has been tasked with overseeing the distribution of stimulus funds, announced several fund disbursements, including $15 billion in Medicaid assistance and $10 billion to help make public housing more energy efficient.

soundoff(129 Responses)

Additional spending for medicare and medicaid does not creat stimulus.

This is all spending. The monkeys should have gotten it right the first time.

Barack wanted more money in infrastructure and congress put it everywhere else. More spending. More spending.

February 25, 2009 04:08 pm at 4:08 pm |

Brian

That must have been a doozy...

Biden: "The stimulus plan is all about a 3 letter word: JOBS. J-O-B-S."

February 25, 2009 04:10 pm at 4:10 pm |

Matt B

The President tells us we can nationalize education, nationalize healthcare, lower taxes and print money like in a game of Monopoly…all while avoiding exceptional inflation and cutting the deficit? Same old "something for nothing" that all politicians continue to sell.

Have people not realized that everytime the President or his cabinet speak, the global markets collapse because the plans are so ridiculous? We have a VP that says the administration has a 30% chance of failing, a Secretary of Treasury that entered his first press conference so unprepared that two economists wrote they felt sorry for him because he was so bad, we have a senior member of Congress saying we should nationalize the banking system and a President trying to sell an alternate universe to the people of this country because he knows most people will blindly follow him with whatever he does (please see an $800 billion stimulus package that several members of Congress admitted they didn't even have time to read before voting for it).

February 25, 2009 04:13 pm at 4:13 pm |

carlo

Anne, that stuff on his forehead is ashes. It's Ash Wednesday. He's Catholic. Every practicing Catholic on earth has that stuff on their foreheads today.

February 25, 2009 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Joe

That something on his forehead is ashes from going to church–its ash wednesday and Catholics have them as a symbol as the beginning of the Lenten Season...

Just so you know...

February 25, 2009 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Judy from PA

Mr. Biden is not one of my favorite people, but I honestly beleive that he is the perfect person for this job. Something tells me he will be good at keeping an eye on other people.

February 25, 2009 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Soccer Nana

@ Anne,

Ashes; today is Ash Wednesday; Lent has begun.

February 25, 2009 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Typical White Person

Photo-op to show he still gets ashes on Ash Wednesday even if the Pope castigated Pelosi on public officials taking the sacraments when the advocate abortion.

February 25, 2009 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

Matt

Anne it is ash for Ash Wednesday dummy. It happens every year so get a clue. Why is it we have to give a voice to ignorance every year.

February 25, 2009 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

Proud American

Hey Curly...all you're missing is Moe and Larry....Putting Biden in charge...is a slap in the face for hardworking Americans. First off, he's a total idiot, and second, he and OBama virtually hate one another, so they'll be fighting over which entitlement fund will get money....and ultimately ACORN will be replenished and illegals will be legal .....all in time for re-election.

February 25, 2009 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

Mark

What he has is ashes ("Remember that from dust you come and to dust you shall return."). Joe is Catholic and today is Ash Wednesday. I haven't seen too many prominent Catholics so confident in their faith as to go before the press while still wearing their Lenten ashes.

February 25, 2009 04:20 pm at 4:20 pm |

georgie

can he even say stimulus without screwing up?and why do they keep calling this a stimulus package when it's just a spending bill that will get us more into hot water than we are now? I didn't like bush, don't like obama, but with bush, I didn't feel like I was being lied to in such a smug way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and as far as N.P., did someone stick needles in her chair? she made a total ass out of herself last night.

February 25, 2009 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

William A. Schaedler from St. Louis

I wouldn't let Biden oversee anything. He's clueless. Just like the guy who hired him.

February 25, 2009 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

j

The something on his forehead is ash. He's Catholic. Today is Ash Wednesday. Try to keep up with current events (or learn to read a calendar and put 1 + 1 together).

February 25, 2009 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

In Houston, TX

GO JOE!
This is the time where you get to keep it real and not get in trouble for it.
GIVE 'EM HELL JOE!!!

February 25, 2009 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

dimes

The man couldn't oversee his own hair plugs now he will oversee the pork?

February 25, 2009 04:25 pm at 4:25 pm |

frodo

What is on his forehead?

A bruise from headbutting free market executives?

An ink smudge from passing out half way through reading the stimulus bill?

A blood blister from the brain sucking aliens?

CNN should have a poll on this. People want to know!!!! This is at least as important as what type of dog the Obamas got!!

February 25, 2009 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

Nacho Cheese

"He's got something on his forehead."

Just in case you were serious (hee hee), it's Ash Wednesday today. :)

Excellent, it's time for some accountability in the White House! Like Obama said last night, "Nobody messes with Joe."

February 25, 2009 04:30 pm at 4:30 pm |

zak666

Whats that on his Forehead?

February 25, 2009 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

SC

From his message last night, I reckon that Obama is truly a leader unlike Bush(the 43rd). All Bush did during such a speech was wink. I supposed he was kin to Palin in his past life. All Bush did was pretty much following the Republic Congree & House and signed the bills that came to his desk. Obama clearly had vision in his speech by asking Congress what bill to be sent to him, when and how? Very articulated & clearly defined his role as a leader by setting the agenda for the country.

February 25, 2009 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

Leslie

It is Ash Wednesday! Those are ashes on his forehead!

February 25, 2009 04:33 pm at 4:33 pm |

No Hillary = No Obama

Biden looks unhappy. Obama's handlers probably have him on a short leash. You know, Obama is all image and Biden isn't. Obama has placed himself in front of the cameras every day this week – Monday it was fiscal summit meeting, Tuesday it was before congress today it's another money talk. CNN, are you keeping a "camera count"?

February 25, 2009 04:33 pm at 4:33 pm |

Otto

FOX news is going gaga over the VP flip up. VP Biden said he screwed up not remembering the "number" to the new web site.

Ok Mr. VP I forgive you because you are not in technology. You are right though, it is a number but not a telephone number. It is called an IP address.

For better or worst; the set of protocols used TCP/IP first part transmission, second part Internet protocol.

Next time Mr. VP ask some one near you who has access to the internet to go to the command prompt and type nslookup recovery.gov

You will receive an answer 209.225.35.43; 216.35.173.236 as you can see, there are two sets of IP addresses registered in DNS for that site. You are kind of right and kind or wrong but you are man enough to say you screwed up.

February 25, 2009 04:33 pm at 4:33 pm |

TjayeInLA

Did someone sock him the forehead?? What is that bruise he is wearing? Jill...You got some 'splainin' to do!!